Buyer’s Guide
A buyer’s guide is a structured checklist of everything you should investigate before handing over money for a used car. Rather than relying on the seller’s description alone, a good guide pulls together the vehicle’s documented history and turns it into practical questions and checks tailored to that specific car.
A thorough used car buyer’s guide typically includes:
- Questions to ask the seller based on the car’s history
- Things to watch out for and remember during the test drive
- MOT history, including past failures and advisories
- Service history and whether the schedule has been followed
- Repairs already carried out, or likely to be needed soon
- Total cost of ownership, including tax, insurance and servicing
- Estimated fuel cost based on the car’s economy figures
- Outstanding finance recorded against the vehicle
- Stolen status and insurance write-off markers
Why it matters when buying a used car
Most problems with used car purchases are avoidable with a little homework. The DVSA publishes MOT results going back to 2005, so you can see whether a car has a pattern of failures or recurring advisories such as corrosion or worn brakes. Checking for outstanding finance matters too: if a previous keeper still owes money on the car, the finance company may have a legal claim to it, and a car recorded as stolen can be seized by the police with no compensation to you.
Working through a checklist also gives you leverage. If the MOT history shows an advisory for tyres or brakes, you can factor that cost into your offer, and a seller who cannot answer basic questions about servicing is telling you something useful.
Before viewing any car, it is worth running a full car history check so you arrive armed with the facts.